Untangling the Web of Hate: Are Online Hate Sites Deserving of First Amendment Protection?

The Internet has provided hate groups with a relatively easy and cost-effective way to make their rhetoric of hatred available to an audience of millions. Realizing the Internet's communication potential, hate groups have posted an increasing number of online "hate sites," websites containing content that disparages a particular class of people. As the number of Internet hate sites has increased, the U. S. government has been called upon to ban these controversial websites. This comprehensive study explores whether there is a First Amendment basis for regulating U. S.-based hate sites. It identifies the various First Amendment tests developed by the federal courts for assessing the constitutionality of both non-mass-mediated hateful speech and Internet content, then examines a sample of U. S.-based hate sites to ascertain whether they contain constitutionally proscribable content under those standards. The study is unique in that it examines websites maintained by several different kinds of U. S.-based hate groups: Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazi, racist Skinhead, Christian Identity, Black separatist, neo-Confederate, White conservative, and pro-Jewish. Untangling the Web of Hate: Are Online "Hate Sites" Deserving of First Amendment Protection? is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to learn more about the content and constitutionality of Internet hate sites.